Mad Max: Fury Road Behind Schedule And Over Budget?

Almost every bigger-budget picture hinges on ďdisaster.Ē Two or three wrong steps can prove very costly, forcing a studio to throw money at problems. The gaping hole of a runaway budget can be devastating. And so when thereís new that a Warner Bros. representative is being sent to Africa to reportedly keep one of the studioís major tent poles on track, thereís reasonable cause for alarm.

THR says that producer Denise Di Novi ďhas been assigned to the Mad Max movieĒ after studio head Jeff Robinov visited the Namibia set and came back with concerns. Though this isnít uncommon, George Millerís sequel is ďat least five days behind scheduleĒ already, and is starting to run over budget. But Rabinov downplays Di Noviís involvement, simply saying to the trade, ďIt's easier having someone there who has experience and who can keep us posted on the day's events.Ē

Stepping back and looking at the big picture, itís a little easy to understand why Rabinov would be concerned. While THR says that the budget for the fourth Mad Max will stay between $100M and $125M, and production will wrap in November, Millerís isnít exactly a household name like Steven Spielberg or James Cameron. The franchise also hasnít been relevant since 1985 (when Beyond Thunderdome) opened. And the series is trading Mel Gibson for Tom Hardy, who still hasnít proven himself as a bankable movie star who is able to open movies on his own.

Now, these delays are not staggering. And Miller easily can deliver a riveting Mad Max story. But for now, Warner seems to be keeping this escalating sequel on a short leash. Letís hope it doesnít affect the final product.